murray



(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. H. MURRAY.

APPARATUS FOR LOADING HEAVY GUNS. No. 380,688. Patented Apr. 10, 1888.

N. Pinks, mlomm un Wahinflon, n. C.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

O. H. MURRAY.

APPARATUS FOR LOADING HEAVY GUNS.

Patented Apr. 10, 1888.

u. Pnms How-11W. Wm n c.

5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

0. H. MURRAY.

APPARATUS FOR LOADING HEAVY GUNS.

Patented Apr. 10, 1888.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

C. H. MURRAY.

APPARATUS FOR LOADING HEAVY GUNS.

No. 380,688. Patented Apr. 10, 1888.

Q o I Wi'zneJJ N PETERS. mtoiitmnpmr. Walmnllm. D. C.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5. O. H. MURRAY.

APPARATUS FOR LOADING HEAVY GUNS. No. 380,688.

Patented Apr. 10, 1888.

Charles Jlflurray, 1 5 11;) uidormgyd' u PETEIS. mum-Lmwgrvmw wilhln lom1c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. MURRAY, OF ELS\VICK \VORKS, NEVVCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENG- LAND,ASSIGNOR TO W. G. ARMSTRONG, MITCHELL & 00., (LIMITED,) OF

SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR LOADING HEAVY GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,688, dated April10, 1888.

Application filed May 31, 1887.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES IIENRY MUR- RAY, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain, residing at the Elswick Works, Newcastleupon-Tyne,England, engineer, have invented certain new and useful Imp rovements inMechanism for Conveying Ammunition to and for Loading Heavy Guns, (forwhich I have received Letters Patent in Italy, No. 21,357, dated March31, 1886,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object improvements in mechanism forconveying ammunition to and for loading heavy guns, and is ap plicableespecially to guns mounted en barbette or in a turret.

The gun is placed on its carriage as far forward as possible and isloaded when run out. The ammunition is raised from below by a centralvertical hoist, and is delivered with the powder uppermost into aloading trough or tube, which at this time is turned downward and madeto form a continuation of the hoist-trunk. \Vhen the ammunition has beenthus placed into the loading trough or tube, it is held therein, ashereinafter more fully described, by means of fingers or catches, andthe loading trough or tube is then turned upward into such a positionthat it forms a continuation of the bore of the gun, and a tube slidingupon it is made to enter for a short dis tance into the breech of thegun. The loading trough or tube is then in line with the rammer. In thisposition of the loading trough or tube the shot and charge of powder canbe at once thrust into the gun by one stroke of the rammer. A telescopichydraulic rammer is employed. The central hoist and loading trough ortube are attached to the turret or turn-table and revolve with it, sothat the hoist is always in position to pass a charge to theloading-trough. A spiral staircase is provided round the central hoist,and this forms a convenient way of getting in and out of the turret. Itis therefore unnecessary to leave room for a passage round the base ofthe turret or turntable, and the battery-wall can come close up to thebase of the turret. This reduces the extent of armor in the battery-Serial No. 239,858. (No model.) Patented in Italy March 31, 1886, No.11,357.

wall to a minimum. Two guns in the same turret can be loaded at any timeindependently of one another and in any point of the are of training, asthe rammers and hoist go round with the turn-table.

In order that my said invention may be fully understood and readilycarried into effect, I will proceed to describe the drawings hereuntoannexed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical and longitudinal section,withsome parts in elevation, of a turret carrying a heavy gun and fittedwith a central hoist and pivoted loading-tube, as above described. Fig.2 is a longitudinal section,on a larger sca1e,of the loading-trough,with the parts in position for retaining a charge of ammunition therein.Fig. 3 is a similar view with the parts in position, to allow of acharge being pushed into or from the loading-trough. Fig. 4 is across-section through the line A B, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 isaside elevationshowing the loading-tube in position to receive the charge from thehoist. Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing the loading-tube in positionto pass the charge into the gun. Fig. 7 is a front elevation, and Fig. 8a side elevation, of the hydraulic cylinder Working the hoist. Fig. 9 isa transverse section of the trunk of the hoist through the doorway, withthe door shown open.

a is the gun in the loading position. It is carried upon a turn-tablestructure, 12, by a carriage, c, in connection with which there issuitable hydraulic mechanism (partly indicated by the drawings, butwhich forms no part of this invention) for controlling the recoil andworking the gun.

d is apparatus for opening and closing the breech of the gun. It is ofwell-known construction.

e is the trunk of the hoist for raising ammunition to the gun from themagazines ff below.

9 is the platform of the hoist, which can be raised and lowered by arope or chain,h. The rope is led over guide-pulleys at the top of thehoist, then around pulleys 41, mounted on a hydraulic ram, 2, and aroundother pulleys,j, mounted on the hydraulic cylinder j. The rope or chainis continuous around these pub leys and around the intermediateequalizingpulley, h, and the two ends ascend to the guide pulleys at thetop of the trunk e and then descend the trunk by the grooves within iton its opposite sides, (see Fig. 9,) and are attached to the platform 9atits lower end. The construction of hoists of this kind is wellunderstood.

k is the loading trough or tube. It is pivoted at k, and is moved aboutthis pivot by the hydraulic cylinder k".

lis a sliding tube or part on the loadingtrough. It is operated by thesmall hydraulic cylinder Z, which thrusts it forward to engage with theupper end of the trunk 6 when the loading trough or tube is in positionto receive the charge from the hoist. Similarly when the loading troughor tube is raised the part l is thrust forward into the breech of thegnn,when the loading trough or tube is in position to deliver the chargeto the gun.

in is a fourfold telescopic hydraulic rammer with sufficient length ofstroke to drive the entire charge from the loading trough or tube intothe gun. The construction of such rammers is well understood,aud formsno part of the present invention.

at is a projectile, which has been brought to the hoist by the aid ofsuitable tackle, (indicated by the drawings,) but forming no part ofthis invention. A door is opened to admit the projectile into the trunk6, (see Fig. 9,) and there it is placed on the platform 9. The platform9 is then lowered and the powder-charges are placed upon the base of theprojectile. The door in the trunk e is now closed and the platform 9 israised, and it carries the charge up into the loading trough or tube k.The sliding tube or part Z of the loading-tube is now withdrawn torelease the loading trough or tube from the trunk e, and by the samemove ment fingers 0 on the loading trough or tube are moved inward toretain the projectile, so that it cannot fall out, as shown at Fig. 2.The fingers are acted upon by the sliding section l of the loading-tubein obvious ways. The loading trough or tube is now raised, turning aboutthe pivot at k, and the part i, being again advanced, enters the breechof the gun. The fingers at the same time retire and release theprojectile. Finally, the charge is ram med into the gun and the loadingtrough or tube is released and again lowered to the trunk of the hoist.

After firing the guns it is only necessary in order to reload them toopen the breech of each and sponge the guns with the usual syringe; thento raise the loading trough or tube with one movement and to ram in thecharge with a second movement, and then to return the rammer and loadingtrough or tube and close the gun.

A spiral staircase, p, is provided round the central hoist, and thisforms a convenient way of getting in and out of the turret. It is therefore unnecessary to leave room for a passage round the base of theturret or turn-table, and the battery-wall can come close up to the baseof the turret. This reduces the extent of armor in the battery-wall to aminimum.

Two guns in the same turret can be loaded at any time independently ofone another and in any point of the arc of training, as the rammers andhoist go round with the turn-table.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is- 1. The combination of the turret or turntable, the gunor guns mounted thereon, and the ammunition-hoistattached centrally toand beneath the turret or turn table and extending down to amagazine-chamber, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of aturret or turn-table, a gun or guns mountedthereon, an ammunition-hoist centrally beneath the turret, and a loadingtrough or tube above the hoist and movable about a pivot, whereby itconnects with the trunk of a hoist while it receives the charge and withthe breech of the gun while it delivers the charge into it,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the gun, a hoist raising ammunition to the gun, aloading trough or tube above the hoist and movable about a pivot toconnect at one time with the trunk of the hoist and at another with thebreech of the gun, fingers in the loading trough or tube operated toretain the projectile andcharge within it, and a rammer passing throughthe loading trough or tube and into the gun, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

4. Theloadingapparatus consisting of a pivoted trough or tube having thesliding part, a ranimer in rear of it, a hydraulic cylinder and ram onthe pivoted trough or tube operating the sliding part thereof,retainingfingers on the pivoted trough or tube actuated by said slidingpart, and a hydraulic cylinder and ram connected with the trough or tubeand moving it about its pivot, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

5. The combination of the turret or turntable, the gun or guns mountedthereon, the ammunition-hoist attached centrally to and beneath theturret or turntable and extending down to a magazine-chamber, and thespiral stairs surrounding the hoist and extending from the turret orturntable to the magazinechamber, substantially as set forth.

0. H. MURRAY.

\Vituesses:

'1. PURYIS, WM. JOHN GREY,

Notary Public.

IIO

